I am all into tradition.
In the true Polish tradition, I have had a paczki (pronounced punch-key) every Tuesday before Ash Wednesday for as long as I can remember.
Paczki look like jelly doughnuts but are made from especially rich dough containing eggs, fats, sugar and sometimes milk. They feature a variety of fruit and creme fillings and can be glazed, or covered with granulated or powdered sugar. Pączki have been known in Poland at least since the Middle Ages. Pączki were made to use up all the lard, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house as their consumption was forbidden during Lent due to the Catholic fasting practices.
In younger years, my aunt would drive into Hamtramck, a Polish section of Detroit, to purchase authentic paczki. She still makes her annual trek. Since moving north, I have to resort to regular bakery's attempt to reproduce a paczki. These paczki are good but just don't taste like the authentic ones.
This photo was taken in our village's bakery. The bakery opened specially for today and only sells paczki. One thousand people reside in our town. The bakery will sell thousands of paczki today.
My family will enjoy paczki today. My hope is my grandchildren and great grandchildren will enjoy paczkis and appreciate ethnic custom it represents.
(P.S. I am a bit disappointed with the focus on this shot ... but it's the best I could do in a crowded bakery!)
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